Week 40 - Hi family & friends!

Okay, first I hope all is well back in the U.S.A.! It is exciting to hear that Arcenio (Elder Garcia) is doing well and adjusting to the missionary life! It sure is an adjustment, but neat to see how he has responded to the call! I know that everyone back at home will be blessed by his service also! Missionary work truly is a family affair, and for those in the ward who read this, you're my ward family, so hopefully you feel of my love also!

Things up here are going well but they are a bit slow when it comes to new people teach. We have had some great conversations and interactions lately, but not too much has turned into us getting into a home to teach someone the glorious message of the restored gospel. Which honestly is a shame. It is frustrating knockin on doors for hours in the day. I would so much rather be out there teaching than just talking to people. Not because I don't like talkin to people, because I love that, but because I am then talking to those who are actively seeking to change their lives. I have noticed recently, how we are in the position to change lives. There have been individuals in the area or ward who when all seems to be going wrong, they need advice, they have called us. They seek to know how to best conquer their problems. It is humbling. I am just a 19 year old lad, trying to share the gospel. The advice they seek is for things that I have never encountered or even come close to encountering, yet they truly feel that we can help them. It has been powerful to look at someone and say that even though everything in the world may seem to disagree, that even though your world itself is crashing in around you, the Gospel of Jesus Christ can and will help you. Lay your burdens at Christ's feet and see what a difference that can and will make. It is truly an experiment they must do for themselves. You have to decide whether or not you want Christ's Atonement to change your life. I really have gained a testimony lately of how personal his Atonement was, how personal His love is along with our Heavenly Father's. They are so interested in our lives, I don't think we often think about it that way, but they both want to help us so dearly; we must first ask them to.

One thing that has been wonderful has been teaching Alannah lately. We have been meeting with her about twice a week now in preparation for her baptism. It is slated for this Saturday! I am stoked for sure. It will be so sweet to see someone finally make that commitment that I talk about every single day with people. It has been powerful to me to see someone with such young faith, have that desire and that motivation to conquer all these problems with her faith. We have been teaching her and really answering the questions she may have about baptism and leading up to it. She has never even seen a baptism, it is pretty strange when you say okay this man is going to hold your arm in the water (oh by the way you are in a white jumpsuit this whole time) and then dunk you in the water. Okay now I know there is so much more to it, but to someone who has never seen a baptism, never grew up in the church, it is different! So we have done a lot to calm her anxieties about all of that! haha It is good to be in the know! I am really looking forward to this weekend though!

We have also been teaching Michael, the 9 year old. It is pretty neat, it is like we have become his older brothers/uncles or something. I was talking to his grandma about all of it and she said how much we have helped him come out of his shell. When we teach him we just make it fun, we use tons of pictures, and just help him understand everything at his level. It was pretty neat; he even memorized the first article of faith in a week after we talked with him! It is just fun to be a part of such a young fellow’s life. It is sort of setting the thoughts that he has towards missionaries in the future.

One way we have been trying to find more people to teach lately is through service. We do service every week at this National Historic Site. It has been cool because 1-I learn all about the history of the area, but 2- The conversations we have been able to turn into more and more gospel themed conversations. Every time it seems like a wall is knocked down and we learn more about their lives and how the gospel could potentially help them. We are going to stay consistent there and hopefully things will continue to improve!

This week we will have our mission tour with Elder W. Craig Zwick of the 70, I am lookin forward to it! It will be a crazy busy week as we have exchanges tomorrow to Wednesday, baptismal interview on Wednesday, mission tour Thursday, baptism Saturday, and confirmation Sunday. It should be a great week though. I am looking forward to it! I hope all is well for everyone back at home! I'll talk to you all very soon!

Love, Elder McFall